Under the Mask
by Midnight Memories
Summary: Chased by criminals, a woman takes refuge in Konoha. Despite her promise to stay loyal to them, Tsunade decides to have her supervised by an ANBU member. Then things get messy as said criminals decide to take action and to make her pay. KakashiOC
1. Prologue

Title  
Under the Mask

Rated  
T for romance themes. No limes or lemons though. Maybe in later chapters some descriptive battle scenes.

Pairing  
Kakashi/OC

Note  
- This fic will mainly roam around Kakashi as an ANBU member.  
- Post timeskip.  
- Yes, my OC is the same one who made a short appearance in my fic "The Fire of Love", though it is no way its sequel. This is an independent story, even if I'm recycling characters.

Dedication  
All to Alexz, a very amazing (and special) friend of mine!

* * *

**Prologue  
**  
_'If anyone thinks they know what loss is, they better think again. Because I know what that is. I know what it feels like to lose the people you love, to see them fall in front of your very eyes. I've seen it all; the pain, the suffering, the horror. Bloody corpses of the ones I cared for, the ones that made me who I am today. For the rest, those who are still alive, many have forgotten about me. Despite all the disappointment and grief, I've never backed down. Instead I've learned from every experience and forced myself to be stronger all the time. It is who I am.'_

A strike of lightning lit up the dark grey sky, followed almost instantly by a loud roll of thunder which blasted across the quiet village of Konoha. Many children whimpered in their rooms as their mothers tried to comfort them, while the father would hold candles or lamps to bring the security of light into the house.

Many poles had fallen in the village, drowning every house in utter darkness. Most people had already gone to bed since it was in the middle of the night, and those who stayed awake were lighting every candle they owned while watching the storm rage outside.

Meanwhile, a lone figure was leaning on a balcony, the doors behind him opening and closing with every burst of cold wind from the sky. Ignoring the rain that drenched his body, Hatake Kakashi allowed his uncovered eye to roam the empty streets of the area he lived in.

He had been at the memorial stone when it had started to rain, forcing him to head back home. Despite the tardiness of the hour, he had still decided to spend time just looking at the tall artifact, his uncovered eye trailing over the too familiar names.

His father and mother.

Uchiha Obito.

The Fourth Hokage.

Rin.

Those people had definitely been the ones who had impacted him the most. As another burst of wind smacked onto his face, the Copy Ninja allowed himself to remember a few moments. His father's brutal suicide, Obito's death because of a rockslide after saving him, Rin's death and his failure to keep her safe…

He forced the thoughts away from his mind, struggling to bask in better memories. His mind stopped on the students he trained and to what they had become.

Naruto had once again left to train with Jiraiya, Sakura was busy with Tsunade to become the best medic-nin of Konoha, Sai had joined Konoha's ANBU team and often proposed himself for the most dangerous mission, and lastly Sasuke was… gone. Kakashi knew that he was probably still hunting his brother, but there was nothing he could do about that now. Kakashi had failed to keep him in Konoha before, he certainly wouldn't succeed now.

Sighing, the 29 year old Elite Jounin retreated back inside, allowing the tempest to rage outside his apartment. Pulling off his headband and jacket, tossing them on a dresser, the Sharingan user fell on his bed and closed his eyes, awaiting sleep to come and get him.

----------

Running, running, running…

It was all the woman could do as she pushed her feet to go faster. Frantically putting one tired, sore foot in front of the other as quickly as she could, ignoring the fatigue of her muscles. Minutes flashed by as she made her way through the thick forest. The Mist Village insignia on her headband reflected the lightning that tore the angry sky.

After a while, the woman stopped running while brushing water out of her grey eyes. Her hands quickly met in a few hand seals, and the pressure on her ankles diminished. Sadly, though, so did the minuscule amount of chakra left in her and so did her energy.

Forcing herself to go forward, she gave her darkened surroundings a fearful look before starting to run again. Her short reddish-brown hair was even darker as rain pelted down on the weary woman as she pushed herself further into the unknown. She had never been in these parts before, so it was certain that she was out of Kirigakure. But she certainly wasn't out of danger yet, especially not after what she's done.

She had messed with one of the strongest organization in all counties, something that not even a Kage would even consider to attempt. She shouldn't have taken a walk in that damned cluster of trees, she shouldn't have investigated the moan of agony from the bushes, she shouldn't have…

Gasping as her foot caught on a root, she felt herself plunging forward dangerously. Reaching out, she grabbed the trunk of said tree and stopped her fall before she could hurt herself.

_'Clumsy, clumsy, clumsy!'_ she mentally chided, starting the crazy race again. _'This isn't the time to stumble!'  
_  
She knew, though, that no matter how intelligent she was or how witty her strategy could become, she couldn't outrun these guys. If they really set their minds on finding her, she didn't have an hour to hide. Even if she did find a good safe place to crash into, they'd find her; that was sure. But so far she had been on the run for two days and she was safe.

So far…

She ran through the whole night, trying to ignore the fresh wave of exhaustion and pain that rose along with the morning hours. It was still raining, yet everything was deadly still. No lightning, thunder, or wind. Only the rain made sound as it splattered on the forest floor.

The woman left the forest rather suddenly, surprised that it was cut so short. Yet her eyes stopped on a village, and she stopped in her tracks. That was something she shouldn't have done, though, since her legs began to wobble dangerously under her. More than the last twenty-four hours had been spent running; it was a miracle she was still standing.

Deciding to walk, she made her way to the gates, the fatigue catching up with her. Passing by a snoring guard, she marched through the streets with her head low as she slung up the hood of her jacket. It took her a few minutes before she actually stopped in front of the building she was looking for.

Stepping inside, she passed through a series of hallways, strangely arriving at the correct destination after only a short period of time. Closing her eyes, she pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The blonde woman on the other side looked up sharply at the darker haired one, frowning at the interruption so early in the morning.

"Can I help you?" the current Hokage of Leaf Village barked out.

Two single words left the woman's mouth before she crumbled to the ground in exhaustion. Two words that made Tsunade jump into action.

"Help me…"

* * *

A/N: So this was my prologue… 

I know I said I wouldn't write until the exams, but Alexz was pressuring me… lol jk, I just felt like writing again. So tell me what you think!

Take care!


	2. The Godaime's Request

Disclaimer  
I did everything in my prologue except say that I didn't own Naruto… go me… So I say it for the prologue and for chapter one!

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****

Chapter One: The Godaime's Request

Sighing, the Jounin shredded the note that had been slipped under his apartment door. A request, from none other than the Godaime herself, to have him report to her office ASAP. 

_'Right,'_ Kakashi sighed to himself, trudging to his shower. _'As if she expects me to __**hurry...'**_

After quickly showering, the shinobi slipped on his clothing and carefully placed the dark blue mask upon the lower half of his face. Throwing a look at the mirror in front of him, he shut off half of his vision by covering his red eye with his headband. After another quick look around the room, he left his apartment and headed towards the memorial stone.

Too bad if Tsunade requested him. He had more important things to do.

----------

An hour later, an infuriated Hokage allowed Kakashi to enter her office. Slumping angrily in her chair, she muttered, "Was it too much to ask for you to actually show up _early _for once!?"

Shrugging, Kakashi tilted his head and said, "You requested me, I came."

After an annoyed sigh, the blonde woman crossed her arms and forced her anger back. The only reason she wasn't yelling at him was because she needed a favor, and only he could see it through.

"I know you left the ANBU Black Ops years ago, Kakashi-san, but I would like you to take it up again. Even if it's just temporarily," she said gently, hoping to reel him in with her soft attitude.

Frowning slightly at her request, he answered, "I left the ANBU for personal reasons, so wouldn't it be common sense if I wouldn't want to return?"

"Well you don't have much choice. You're the only one adept for the job I'm about to assign you, and—"

"You have tons of ANBU working for you, yet none 'adequate' enough for the job?" the Copy Nija retorted, "What is it that you want, and why do I have to dress up to do it?"

_'Patience, Tsunade, patience,'_ she sighed to herself at the impossibly stubborn Jounin in front of her. "Because your mission would mostly be during the night, and if anyone was to see your face it would definitely put you in danger..."

After giving it a few seconds' thought, Kakashi finally relented. Passing a hand through his silver hair in irritation, he spoke quietly, "What will my mission be, Hokage-sama?"

Unscrewing the bottle of sake and gently taking a sip, the Godaime allowed the strong liquid to slither down her throat before answering, "A woman showed up this morning, drenched and weary. She ran all the way from Kirigakure, seeking protection from a group of murderers. After lending her some of my chakra so she wouldn't die on me, we had a long talk and I agreed to let her stay in a small apartment hidden in the middle of the village. Also, she admitted being a medic-nin, which is how she kept herself running by constantly healing her legs and lungs with Jutsu, so I offered her to go on some missions or help out at the hospital as a job."

His interest piqued at the mention of a woman, Kakashi felt himself straighten as he widened his eye in an enthusiastic fashion. "And it has something to do with me because…"

Breathing out quickly in irritation, Tsunade leaned back in her chair and finished his sentence, "Because I want you to look out for her. Both to protect her from these murderers and to make sure she isn't betraying us."

_'It's not like I have better things to do with my days…'_ the Copy Ninja told himself before nodding and inquiring about the address of said woman.

After giving him a paper with the woman's location, Tsunade said quietly, "Her name is Kaoru Motoko. Don't let her see your face, nor know your name, understood? Your ANBU code name will be Kioshi, if need be go by that name in front of her. Also you are never to reveal anything that may link her to you, or any part of your features to her unless—"

"Tsunade-sama, I know the rules of an ANBU member, I've been one for months," the Jounin said, a smile dancing on his lips under his mask.

As he left the office, he left his usual path and went directly to the woman's apartment. It was the top floor of a small building, with a lot of trees surrounding it. Perfect for an ANBU member to hide while doing his job.

"Motoko…" he murmured under his breath, getting accustomed to the woman's name in his head. After mentally noting the exact emplacement of her room, he shredded and tossed out the Hokage's note for a second time that day and returned to his own home.

_'I'm going to need all the sleep I can get… These next few days might be very long and tiresome…'_

----------

Motoko's grey eyes cracked open upon hearing a clock go off. Sitting up and feeling a fresh wave of exhaustion attacking her muscles, she groaned and allowed herself to fall back down on the bed.

So she had made it to Konoha after all. The Hidden Leaf Village, days away from her own home, was now her temporary domain. If it hadn't been for Tsunade's understanding nature and her own skills at subtlety twisting the truth, she would've been running to the next village at this moment.

One of the first things she did, though, was to lick her dry lips. Despite all her fatigue, the obnoxious buzzing of the clock and her parched throat made her get up.

Sighing as a wave of homesickness hit her, she smacked the clock repeatedly until it stopped its screaming rant. _'Annoying,'_ she groaned to herself before stepping in her brand new kitchen. Taking a glass and filling it with water absentmindedly, she allowed her eyes to roam across the decoration in the room until they stopped on the door. Locked about five times with heavy padlocks, it would take a miracle for anyone to pass through. Sadly, though, the men who were after her were far from being "anyone". 

Shivering, Motoko placed the glass down and groaned, wondering if her entire life would be spent like this. Constant fear of getting chased by them, of being attacked…

_'No… I'll just wait until they leave the area, or until they get killed,'_ she mused, though she knew that both were very unlikely. Looking at the time, she realized that it was nearly eight pm, which explained the slowly growing darkness in the room.

Deciding on returning to bed instead of lazing around, the medic-nin placed the full glass gently on the counter and returned to her mattress. Slipping under the smooth covers, she exhaled deeply before shutting off the light and closing her eyes.

----------

An hour later, a man was slowly pulling out a medium-sized, plain chest from his closet. Propping it on his bed, he sighed as he brushed the dust from its top. It had been such a long time he hadn't done this, such a long time that the chest hadn't been opened. Taking the key out of his pocket, he gently unlocked it and pulled out a thick black cloak and its sleeveless black and grey undershirt.

Tugging off his Jounin uniform, Kakashi slipped on the undershirt before wrapping the cloak around his shoulders, hiding the telltale tattoos on his upper arms. His cargo black pants hung down from his waist and his heavy black boots that were characteristic to the ANBU attire were laced up and ready to go.

Next came out the various weapons, from kunais and shurikens to the ninjaken strapped to his back. Last, but not least, the Copy-Ninja slipped off his headband, making his Sharingan glitter, and placed the porcelain mask - which closely resembled a wolf - on his face.

Finally fully cloaked as an ANBU member, the Jounin tied up his hair and threw on the hood of his cloak. Determination etched in his hidden features, he gave one last look at the empty chest before setting out in the darkness of the night through the opened window.

* * *

A/N: Well this was my first chapter. I'm not too pleased with it, but I wanted to go all out with the 'description' in this fic. Tell me what you think, if no one likes it and would rather have everything a faster pace, then so it shall be! 

Take care!


	3. Night Vision

Disclaimer  
I SO OWN MOTOKO!!! But no one else…

* * *

**Chapter Two: Night Vision**

  
Everywhere she turned, Motoko could see the eyes. The deep, cruel set of orbs that followed her every move, terrorizing and taunting her. They didn't leave her for one second, preferring to scare the living daylights of her as she walked through the darkened forest.

As if the eyes weren't enough, the figure began to laugh- a deep, guttural sound into the unnaturally quiet night. The hair on the base of her neck frigidly stood on end as she clenched her mouth to keep herself from whimpering. The medic-nin quickened her steps, simply wanting to reach the end of this cursed forest before **he** would get her. 

The next thing that came were the footsteps as the man began to follow her. He made sure to walk upon every twig possible, simply to make his presence known to her.

Motoko's throat tightened as she saw the obstacle in front of her. An iron fence rested far ahead, blocking her path. It only took her a mere matter of seconds before she was forced to stop in front of the massive restriction. The man also stopped directly behind her, the fabric of his clothing brushing against her hands, his breath tickling her neck.

Then an excruciating wave of pain.

----------

Gasping loudly, Motoko sat up in her bed, sweat drenching her forehead and sticking her hair to her face. Her chest rose and fell with every frantic breath she took as she turned to her side and fumbled through the darkness. After knocking down most things on the dresser, she found the small chain and tugged on it.

Light flooded the room, chasing the most prominent aftereffects of her dream. Her heart still raced manically and she brought a shaking hand to her face, closing her eyes to calm herself down.

_'Damn you,'_ she swore to no one in particular, simply hating _them_ for making her have nightmares. It was the second dream that night and she knew well enough that it wouldn't be the last one.

Standing up painfully, she trudged to the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face repeatedly before pushing her face in a towel. After setting the cloth down, she looked up in the mirror to find a terrorized image of herself staring back. Groaning, she shut the bathroom light and quickly retreated to her bedroom.

Slipping under the covers again, she threw a glance outside the window quickly, hating the feeling of being watched that came with the opening. Part of her wanted to keep the curtains open so the thin moonlight could seep through, but the most dominant part despised the feeling that someone could be looking in.

Throwing a quick look at her bed, she sighed deeply and decided that she wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight. Sitting upon the small metal desk on the far side of her room, she pulled out some sheets of paper and a pen.

She wrote simply that she was alive and that she couldn't tell her exact location. Omitting why she was running away from home, she wrote an entire page of apology and promises to come back. Folding the sheet gingerly, she placed it in an envelope and wrote in clear writing the address of her mother.

Getting up, she slipped on some shoes and patiently unlocked the security system Tsunade had installed on her door, and then left her apartment with her heart racing in dread. Walking alone in the night wasn't something she relished, but there was no way anyone would let her post anything during the day if they knew she was probably now considered a Missing-nin.

----------

Kakashi narrowed his eyes, shaking out of his dazed mode as he saw a light come on in Motoko's apartment. From his position up high in a tree, he could see directly through the clean windows and into her room.

Taking in her shorter in back, longer in front hairstyle and tall figure, he actually found himself smiling at his luck. Shutting Icha Icha Paradise, his smile turned to a frown as he noticed the distressed look that adorned her face. Then she left, came back again, and her eyes went out of the window and seemed to stare right at him.

The renewed ANBU retreated in the thick foliage and waited for her to turn away. He groaned later on as she shut off the curtains, ending his vision of the room. Shrugging with resolve, he once again opened his book and leaned back upon a thick branch, shutting his left eye to give the Sharingan a break.

He only could read a while, though, as he heard a door shut under him. Peeking through the leaves, he saw Motoko rushing out of her apartment, clutching an envelope to her body. Once again putting the book in his weapon pouch, he got up and in a second he was gone.

He followed her stealthily, his left eye reopening to be able to follow her better even if she wasn't running very quickly. After aimlessly circling around the village a few times, she stopped in front of a house that Kakashi recognized as being the courier-nin's. Motoko approached the door and reached down to slip the envelope under the door when Kakashi jumped forward and landed right between her and the entrance of the house.

Gasping for a second time that night, she reeled backwards and within a second had four kunais between her fingers, the letter dropped to the ground. An awkward silence filled the air, thick as she calmed her breathing down and forced herself to take control of her emotions.

"I don't want to hurt you," Kakashi sighed, making sure his voice was lower in pitch than usual. "You aren't allowed, as a refugee, to send out letters."

"I-I didn't know," the medic-nin apologized, lowering the weapons as she noticed the Leaf Village symbol on the mask the ANBU wore. Putting the kunais away, she leaned down and picked up the letter, looking at it sorrowfully.

After a few hand seals, Kakashi was able to come up with a small flame hovering over his hand. Smiling softly, she lit the edge of the paper on fire before tossing it on some rocks where it could burn harmlessly.

"Thank you," she sighed, looking at the remains of the blackened paper. "Not many people would keep their curiosity to themselves; they would've asked to see the letter. What's your name?"

"Kioshi," Kakashi told her, remembering Tsunade's warning about never revealing anything about himself. "And you are Kaoru Motoko."

At first, the medic-nin blinked in surprise at his knowledge of her. First he knew that she was a refugee, then he just spilled out her name. Wondering what else he knew about her, she warily crossed her arms and said, "So, Kioshi… how **have** you heard of me?"

A small frown tugged at Kakashi's eyebrows as she questioned him. It should be the opposite; he should be asking her questions.

"I'm an ANBU member, I have the right to know these kind of things," he said seriously, then lowered his voice and said, "If I were you, I wouldn't be sneaking through the city alone at night. It may be a safe village, but we never know when strangers can be lurking around."

Motoko took another step back, hating the sound of the man's voice. _'Was that a threat…?_' she asked herself, narrowing her eyes lightly with suspicion.

When she didn't answer, the Jounin continued with, "May I walk you home? It might make you feel more comfortable rather than staying alone."

Sighing, she forced herself to gather all the trust she had in herself and nodded. "Please, I'd appreciate it," she said, turning around. Kakashi gave his head a light inclination to show that he understood, though it went unnoticed as she began to walk forward.

The walk was short, brisk, and uneventful. Despite her hatred for darkness, she found the presence of the ANBU rather refreshing. He was probably one of the strongest of the village after all, so no one could really injure her. Except if it was…

Motoko crossed the remaining distance quickly, unlocking the door as she did so. Opening the it a crack, she gently said, "Thank you for escorting me back to my house, Kioshi. It was very nice of you." As she turned around, though, the masked ANBU had disappeared from sight.

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A/N: One more chapter down! Man, was it a hassle to write. I did it coming home from two exhausting days of work, so if it isn't that good… just don't hurt me! XD 

Remember- reviews rule. They're amazing. Awesome. I need reviews to live! (This is pointed to those who have me in "story alert" but don't review! XD) Please, it would only take a minute and it'd be so appreciated!

Take care!


	4. Hospital Duties

Disclaimer  
-Whistles in annoyance-

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**Chapter Three: Hospital Duties**

  
"Alright…" Motoko sighed to herself, looking down at her rather casual clothing attire. She had absolutely no clue what the medic-nins of Konoha wore, but she hoped that it wasn't anything proper. Frowning at the troublesome situation, she ran her fingers through her hair before setting out of her house towards her brand new job.

The sterile hospital of Leaf Village wasn't far from her house, so it only took around five minutes for her to get there. Stepping in the brilliantly lighted hall, she squinted and looked around to find the person who was supposed to meet her. 

Standing there like an idiot wasn't an experience Motoko especially enjoyed. Exhaling impatiently, she began to slowly walk around the area, looking around for someone to seem as bored as she so she could converse with them.

One minute.

Two minutes.

Three minutes.

Four minutes.

"I've been waiting for five minutes now!" Motoko sighed, crossing her arms as she forced herself not to glare at the receptionist. "Tsunade-sama told me that someone would wait for me!"

The older woman, dressed in stark while clothing, regarded the newest medic-nin through her thick glasses. "Why are you talking to me? I'm busy!" the woman sighed, nodding towards the lone patient waiting. Standing up, she brushed past Motoko and began talking to the patient, asking various questions simply so she wouldn't have to endure complaints.

Offended, the Kirikagure woman crossed her arms and huffed indignantly. More minutes trickled by, igniting more anger into the 25 year old.

Finally, a girl burst through the doors, looking disheveled with a sheepish expression adorning her face. "Kaoru Motoko?" she called out gently, looking around the hall.

"Yes," she answered, waving the younger girl over. As she approached, Motoko looked at her up and down, swooping a critical eye over the girl's looks. Tight red dress, sandals, deep green eyes, fair skin, and… pink hair?

"My name's Sakura! I'll show you around and teach you some things you should know about medicine. I'm—"

"How old are you?" the medic-nin cut in, her eyebrows raised.

Frowning slightly, Sakura gave a slight proud toss of her hair before answering. "I'm only sixteen, but I'm Tsunade's apprentice. I know how a hospital works."

"So do I," Motoko sighed in slight annoyance at the girl's cocky attitude. "I've been training to become a medic-nin since I was ten, child. I don't think there's anything you can teach me that I don't already know. Also, a great medic-nin would know that being late could be the death of patients."

Lowering her head at the nickname "child" and in shame of being rebuked, the pink haired kunoichi muttered, "I was with my old Sensei. I told him to meet me two hours ago and he never showed up. I just left and raced here, so when he'll arrive he'll have to wait for me. I apologize, Motoko-san."

Deciding against embarrassing the girl even more, the newest member of the hospital crew nodded as Sakura began to walk through the halls. They eventually ended up in a small light green hallway. The lights buzzed softly, creating a definite "hospital" feeling with every light-colored wooden doors shut to allow silence in the patient's rooms.

"You'll start here," Sakura said, waving towards the row of doors. "Also we might call you if there's an emergency, which isn't unlikely with the numbers of shinobi we have these days."

Nodding, Motoko easily dismissed Sakura and began to walk through the dozens of rooms she had been assigned. Every single convalescent was fast asleep.

_'Why am I surprised? It's 7 am, what do you do when you're a patient in a hospital at that time of day?'_ the woman sighed to herself. A small twinge of hope lighted up within herself as the patient in room four stirred. Sadly, her hope crushed when he fell once again fell victim to sleep.

Groaning, she realized that they had probably given her the patients easiest to deal with. Most people would appreciate the break; but for Motoko, this was hell. Having to wait for patients to wake was one of the most painful things she had to endure since there was nothing to do during that lapse of time.

----------

Thankfully, a stretcher arrived around lunchtime with an agonizing patient on it. He had short black hair, pale skin, and seemed to be in his late teens. His shirt had been ripped off and a large scar covered half of his chest. The main problem had obviously been fixed, but he was still in obvious pain as he growled, his face contorted in anguish.

He was quickly whisked in one of her empty rooms, and Motoko entered just as the men carrying the stretcher took off.

She quickly opened up his file and read through it for his medical history and what needed to be done with him. The fast reading only took a few seconds, so she tossed the file back on the counter where she'd taken it and went by the boy's side.

"Hi," she said quietly, smiling as she gently untied the forehead protector from behind his head and pulled it off.

"Take the pain away," he begged, once again wincing as a fresh wave of affliction crashed into his chest.

It only took a few hand seals to get the boy to pass out so that he wouldn't feel the excruciating distress anymore. Sighing, she then began to bandage up the smaller cuts, and –as the file told her to do- to heal the broken bone in his upper right arm. Just as she raised her hands to heal his shoulder, she noticed a tattoo just below his shoulder. A quick examination to his other limb showed the same spiral tattoo inked on the other arm.

She had read up on Konoha the day before and she had read that this tattoo symbolized the Leaf Village's ANBU members. Her eyes softened as she realized that maybe he had been injured during a mission, but then they widened. Could he have been the ANBU who had stopped her from posting the letter two nights ago?

_'Kioshi… he told me his name was Kioshi…'_ Quickly walking to the file, she opened it and her heart sunk slightly.

Motoko jumped with surprise as Sakura burst into the room, smacking the door against the wall as she did so. Quickly stopping as she saw the other medic already in the room with him, she collected herself and peeked at the ANBU's face.

"Geez, they told me that he was nearly dead. He seems fine to me," Sakura groaned, crossing her arms. "Not that I worried for him or anything."

Motoko had to bite her tongue to keep herself from snapping another mean comment at the young kunoichi, but her opinion was voiced by a male voice at the back of the room.

"You do care, Sakura. He was your teammate for a while, after all."

The medic-nin turned and her eyes met one dark eye, the other one being covered by a dark blue cloth. The expression on his face was rather unreadable since most of it was covered, but she gave a smile of greeting anyways.

Scoffing, Sakura nodded to the Copy-nin. "That's Hatake Kakashi, the sensei who made sure that I was late for our meeting, Motoko."

"Well-met," she said with a nod, politely turning to face him. Kakashi also bowed, a small smirk lighting up his visible features.

"Indeed," he said quietly, even if he knew they had already met before. But she didn't share that piece of knowledge, so he chose to stay quiet for now.

Something about his voice and posture made rang a bell in Motoko's mind. Her eyes narrowed just the slightest as she looked at him curiously. "Have I seen you before?" she inquired as Sakura began to fuss over Sai's condition, ignoring the pair of older shinobi.

_'She's good, she already recognized me,'_ Kakashi determined mentally, but said out loud, "When you walked with Tsunade to your apartment the first day, you crossed me in the street, I believe."

_'No way, this can't be. We didn't cross a single soul on the way to my apartment,'_ she mentally reasoned, but then shrugged it off and said, "It must be there that I saw you then. Now I have to return to my duties, excuse me please."

Pushing past the Jounin, she felt his single eye looking at her as she walked by him, but she didn't react. She shivered slightly at the feeling of slight dread it gave her to know that she had seen him before, yet not sure where. She was certain they hadn't seen each other in the streets, he was hiding something.

"Hatake Kakashi… " she whispered, frowning as she slipped into a sleeping patient's room. "I'll remember where I saw you, I swear…"

* * *

A/N: Yay, my very first transition chapter in this fic. Okay, so there wasn't much happening, I know. If you don't know what "transition" is, then look it up, because every transition leads to something good, hm? 

Please review; you don't know how much it makes me happy!

Take care!


	5. Behind Closed Doors

Disclaimer  
Do not own it! I wish I did though, because I'd put Shikamaru and Temari together more often! XD

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**Chapter Four: Behind Closed Doors**

The weather had drastically dropped that day, down to the point where many people stayed inside in fear of freezing. Sadly though, ANBU members had to do their work no matter how cold it was outside.

Trudging through the empty streets of the village, Kakashi pulled the cloak tighter around himself to keep whatever heat he had left. He felt himself shivering despite his effort not to do so and he forced himself to keep from coughing or sneezing. It was dead black, middle of the night, with a subzero temperature. _'What an amazing night to work,' _was the sarcastic comment that flittered through his mind as he sniffed. 

He felt his body straining against the temperature, making his limbs heavy and his fingers numb. Groaning, he stopped under the same tree he had hidden in during his first night as ANBU, but he didn't have the strength or the will to climb it. Plopping down with his back against the trunk, the Copy-nin brought his knees up and slipped his beloved book out. Perhaps a few pages would keep his thoughts away from the stinging climate.

He forced himself to stay engrossed in the pages, so engrossed that he never heard the soft footsteps approaching. So into it that he didn't feel the soft hand on his shoulder. It was only when she spoke that he ripped his eyes away from the words and looked up at Motoko. She was also shivering and her breath came out in little puffs of smoke as she said, "What are you doing outside at this time and weather, Kioshi?"

"Working," he mumbled, his voice muffled by the extra layer of clothing he was wearing.

Motoko smirked softly, tapping the book with one finger as she kneeled down beside the man. "I see, you must be **so** exhausted working **that **hard," she teased, nodding at the book and trying to peek through the glassy eyes of the mask for any hint as to what the ANBU looked like under it.

She had recognized him through the window of her apartment, the wolf mask giving his identity away. Kakashi shut off his book and placed it back in his weapon pouch, getting up stiffly from the ground. The medic-nin also followed his actions, and soon she was found peering up at him from a rather… close position. They were less than a foot apart, but the moment didn't last long as she backed off carefully. "Come inside," she invited, nodding towards the door. "You must be frigid, it'll do you some good to warm up inside for few minutes."

Kakashi accepted the offer with a sharp nod as she turned and led him inside. They soon found their way to her apartment, where she ushered him in and bolted the door behind them.

The apartment was warm and felt more like a haven than anything else. Kakashi sat down on a kitchen chair while she pulled a coffee machine off from the stove.

"Coffee?" she asked innocently, turning her back to him so he wouldn't see the malicious smile gracing her features.

Kakashi instantly caught on and quickly declined as politely as he could. He knew that she had only offered the warm beverage to have him take off his mask. Well sorry, lady, but he won't fall for that, no matter how tempting the offer sounded.

Removing the thick coat she had grabbed on the way out, she tossed it in one room and shut the door. Grabbing a cup of coffee for herself, she sat down opposite the ANBU and regarded him carefully. Now that they were in a lighted space, she could see that he was rather tall and strong, and the few bump on the hood of his cloak indicated either a very funky hairstyle or hair that was tied up in various places. His eyes were unreadable since the mask had tinted eyes, but she could've sworn there was a glint in his left eye that didn't appear in the right one.

"Who are you?" she suddenly asked him, leaning back in her chair. "I mean, you seem to know pretty much everything about me since you're an ANBU, but… I don't know anything about you."

Lowering his head lightly, Kakashi said, "You know my name, that's all you need to know. If I would've wanted you to know who I really was, I wouldn't be here as an ANBU."

Smirking again, Motoko shrugged and took a long drink of the liquid. "Fine," she said once she swallowed. "But it's still unfair that you know everything."

A silence followed that last comment, but it was soon filled by a question from Kakashi. "You're running away from a gang of men. Who are they?"

"You don't know them," was the immediate answer as Motoko's face paled slightly and her eyes roamed around the kitchen. Being an ANBU, she was positive that he would know about them, they were pretty famous after all.

"I think, being an ANBU that is dispatched to work around your quarters, it would be a good thing for me to know who to look out for," he gently coaxed, getting up. He switched chairs so that he was sitting directly beside her and could see her expression more easily.

"A group of friends turned mean, maybe?" he asked gently.

She shook her head, her eyes fixed on a point in the table. "I can't tell you, Kioshi… It would put both of us in danger and I don't want anyone else to be mixed up in this crazy story."

Just as he was about to push a little bit further, she raised her stricken eyes to meet the glassy ones of his mask and said in a fatigued voice, "Please…"

Softened by the pain in her expression, he leaned over and placed a hand gently on her shoulder. "I promise I won't let anyone hurt you, Motoko. You're safe here in Konoha," he pledged quietly.

The medic-nin looked down and nodded weakly. She was so tired of being scared that believing what the man in front of her sounded almost heavenly. He didn't allow her to look down for a long time, though, as his hand found its way under her throat and he pulled it up so she'd gaze at him. He didn't say a word to her, preferring to stay in silence for the moment.

A clock suddenly beeped, startling the two shinobi. Kakashi's head whipped to the side to look at the source of the noise, instantly upsetting the mask on his face. Quickly reaching up, he immediately moved it back to cover the left side of his face, but it was too late.

A terrified expression slipped in her face as she backed away from Kakashi, the chair she had previously been sitting on toppling over. Reeling backwards, she grabbed the first knife she could lay her hands on and stared hard at Kakashi.

"Sharingan…" she whispered, her voice raspy with fear.

Sighing, Kakashi stood up carefully, though he didn't step towards her. He knew that if he did so he would've had a knife embedded in him. But her reaction to his red eye gave him just the information he needed.

"You are being chased by the Akatsuki…"

* * *

A/N: Two chapters in one day! Wow! I'm on a roll! 

Well tomorrow I won't be able to update or write, plus I'm in a writing mood today. Hence the second chapter. This isn't a cliffie is it? Naahh, especially if I saw that the next chapter will be Motoko's story. No cliffhanger at all…

Likes the chapter? Hated the chapter? Found it completely and utterly pathetic?

There's a cute little purple button at the bottom left of the screen. Click it, see what will happen! It's awesome what'll happen when you do so. XD

Take care!


	6. A Tale of Betrayal

Disclaimer  
Wishful thinking: Yes I do!  
Reality: No I do not...

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**  
Chapter Five: A Tale of Betrayal**

"You are being chased by the Akatsuki…" 

The sentence hung heavily in the air between the two as Kakashi gently moved his mask to the side, once again revealing the Sharingan. Only then did Motoko notice the scar on his eye. "It has been implanted," he said quietly, once again placing the mask on his face. "One of my friends died and as a final request, asked to have the eye put into me so I could have the ability of the Sharingan."

Beaten, Motoko slowly lowered the knife and allowed it to drop to the floor. "I-I'm sorry," she stammered, raising her hands to cover her face with shame. "I'm just so scared of them. They're so powerful; they can take me down without even looking at me."

Kakashi carefully crossed the distance between them, then attentively wrapped his arms around her. Motoko felt the heavy fabric of the cloak smothering her shoulders and falling across her back. Leaning forward in his embrace, she pressed her face in his chest, feeling suddenly exhausted.

"Does Tsunade-sama know you're being hunted by them?" he asked her softly, making sure he kept his head level so that the mask would stay on his face.

She nodded before saying, "She told me she'd make sure someone who was strong enough even for the Akatsuki would patrol the streets."

_'So that's why she wanted__** me**__ to be the ANBU in charge of her…'_ he reasoned, then voiced his thoughts. "I fought Itachi once and survived. Maybe that's why she assigned me to look around your quarters for any suspicious characters. "

Nodding, Motoko pulled back and looked up at Kakashi with a fragile look in her face. Taking her arm, he led her to the bed and sat down on the edge of it, pulling her down beside him. "Tell me what happened," he said gently, releasing her arm.

----------

It was a fresh morning in Kirikagure and a certain medic-nin was hurrying across the forest path to get to the hospital. She was late, having stuck the snooze button one time too many and she had of course overslept. Usually she would've passed on the main roads, but upon being late she had no choice but to cut through the thick foliage of trees.

_'As if I'm late… no medic should ever be late, no medic should ever be late…_' she chanted in her mind, quickening her pace. Maybe someone was dying right now; maybe she could've saved a life by arriving on time.

She could almost hear it, the groans of her patients while they waited to be healed. Their stifled moans of pain reaching her ears, registering in her brain…

Stopping dead in her tracks, Motoko closed her eyes and forced herself to listen. The sound was unclear, but she heard it nevertheless. Opening her eyes, she slowly made her way to a cluster of bushes where the noise came from. Pushing the branches away, she felt herself gaping at the figure in front of her.

A man in his late twenties lay battered on the ground. Blood seeped from the various deadly wounds on his body, staining the grass in the process. His glassy, tortured eyes looked up at her as she approached. Reaching up for her, he gently moaned out her name, silently begging to be healed.

"Norio?" she whispered urgently, kneeling beside her childhood friend. "What… what happened to you?"

The man was obviously in excruciating pain, so she quickly did a few hand seals to keep him from dying. The lethal wounds were closed temporarily, but she knew she would have to bring him to the hospital where the highest-ranked medic would take care of him.

Sitting up weakly as the pain was lifted, Norio brushed back his long dirty hair from his scarred face, his eyes never leaving hers. Leaning over, he whispered hoarsely, "They're after me. I promised them some information on a sealed demon, but it didn't work. I was rich, Motoko! They gave me all the money I wanted and then I ran away from them the night before I was supposed to give them information."

An animal ran past them, momentarily startling the pair. Returning her eyes to him, she nodded to tell him to keep talking. Motoko licked her dry lips, feeling herself tensing with every word of his.

"I thought I had bested the Akatsuki," he continued, his voice strained, "Boy, was I wrong. They found me this morning while I was chopping wood, they tortured me into admitting I didn't know the location of the demons they searched. That guy, Itachi… he trapped me in a Jutsu where I could feel myself dying over and over again, but it all felt so surreal. They told me they didn't want me dead- they wanted me to suffer. They went to raid my house for their money and when they'd come back they'd finished me off."

Realizing that she had just fixed something that criminals had broken, Motoko felt the blood freeze in her veins.

Getting up shakily on both legs, Norio looked at her through haunted eyes and told her a simple word before forcing himself to leave the area. "Run."

Blinking, she didn't fully register the situation she had just put herself into. Though she did exactly what Norio had suggested she'd do- she ran as fast as she could towards the hospital, figuring she would be safe there.

Hours later, Motoko was finishing up on a patient who had injured himself by training. Tying the last bandage around his arm, she nodded and the young boy thanked her and jumped off from the bed. Grinning at his renewed strength, the kid rushed out of the hospital with every intention of going back to training.

Just as she was about to retire for the day, the door of her office burst open and a man rushed in the room. She instantly recognized him as Norio's brother, Nobu. His face was pale, contorted with fear. He glared hard at Motoko before saying, "My brother… they've got him…"

Her heart sunk instantly with the piece of news as she placed her hands on the counter to steady herself. Nobu continued, "He came home, exhausted and weary, then mumbled what had happened and how you had saved him. Just as he finished his story, though, the door broke open and a man with red eyes stood at the door. He wore a black cloak with deep red designs on it."

"Itachi…" Motoko whispered, well familiar with the names of the Akatsuki members.

"Yeah… well he didn't seem to be surprised that my brother was there. He simply grabbed him by the throat and squeezed it hard. Norio started to choke and sob, begging the guy to let him go. Itachi, like you called him, said something like, "How are you alive?" My brother shook his head and shut his mouth, holding the Akatsuki's gaze proudly. Though when he started to press harder…"

Then Nobu actually started to cry, tears rolling down his face as he said, "I broke and I told him everything. I told him your name, where you lived and where you worked. I described you also. I thought it would give him a chance to escape, but the guy just didn't give a damn. After he had gotten all the information out of me he just twisted his hand and snapped my brother's neck."

Shocked that Nobu, another childhood friend, would do such a thing as to denounce her to criminals, Motoko took a few steps back. "W-what happened next?" she asked worriedly, her face livid.

"The Akatsuki member only said that he would spare my life for now, that he had other things to do. He told me I was worthless and he said that you would suffer for saving my brother's life, Motoko. Then he just left and as soon as he was out of sight I ran here," he gasped out as quickly as he could. Grabbing her arm, he urgently led her to the window. Lifting a chair where Motoko usually sat, he raised it above his head and smashed the glass. Quickly clearing whatever was left of the sharp material, he propped the chair up and took a step back.

"Run," he whispered, just like his brother had done. "Escape the village, even the country if you have to. Lay low or change your name, just don't show yourself. You're in trouble…."

Nodding, Motoko looked one last time at the man who had betrayed her before climbing on the chair. Propping one leg on the windowpane, she pulled herself up fully on the edge and waited a few seconds. After taking a deep breath, she gave herself a push and dropped out of the window. Thankfully she was behind the hospital, where the training grounds were situated. A lot of people, a lot of confusion, hence a perfect place to hide. Though all she really wanted was to get out of there as fast as possible.

Then she ran. Ran through forest, around ponds, dodging lakes. Every second she felt like if they were after her, ready to kill her for saving the life of her friend. While she was running, though, one thing kept popping up in her mind: Nobu had never apologized for what he did and Norio had never thanked her for saving him.

----------

"And then I reached Konoha," Motoko finished in a whisper. The air had gotten colder in the apartment, the shadows thicker as she had recited her story. She didn't want Kioshi to see the fresh tears building up in her eyes and she hoped that he couldn't hear the erratic beats of her heart. "I told Tsunade they were after me for money and would probably give up once I'm well hidden. She doesn't know I'm hunted to be killed."

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A/N: I think I'm going to stop the chapter here. Just to add a cliffhanger for Kakashi's reaction, hehe. I've missed writing cliffies, and I will admit I even missed the death threats of people that came with it. "Update faster or you will die!" yeah yeah. Lol. 

I know I wasn't supposed to update today but… small change of plans. I'm sure no one actually minds, eh?

What is a review? (from an online dictionary) "A critical article or report, as in a periodical, on a book, play, recital, or the like; critique; evaluation."

Well in my case, it's my fic! So now that you people KNOW what a review is (I'm talking to all of you non-reviewers. I see you, lol!), you can go leave one to me now! –Mmkay, my AN is getting too long, I'll stop now.-

Take care!


	7. Trouble Tonight

Disclaimer  
I should, because I'd have amazing ideas and I'd write about 10 storylines every day!

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**Chapter Six: Trouble Tonight**

Kakashi had listened through the entire story intently, forcing himself not to reach out and hold the girl. So she had lied to the Hokage and had deceived the only woman who had given her a shelter, money, and a job. How grateful… 

Sighing deeply, he stood up and regarded her through the holes in his mask. "As I said earlier, Motoko. Don't worry; I will protect you from them. They will not approach you as long as I'm around," he murmured, brushing back her hair distractedly before pulling his hand away. He knew he meant it also, it wasn't one of his silly promises that he only made in the spur of the moment.

Nodding, she felt herself once again craving the strong ANBU's arms, but chose to act more… her age. Teenage hormones were far away, and it wasn't because a man was mysteriously hiding behind a mask that she had to childishly crush on him.

"Kioshi, how old are you?" she suddenly asked, raising her eyes to meet his glassy ones.

"I just turned twenty-nine," he admitted, then instantly scolded himself for breaking a rule. He shouldn't have told her that, especially since she might recognize him now with that small piece of knowledge.

She obviously didn't, though, as she nodded numbly. She had just told a man that she didn't know, that might even be a spy for all she knew, about her problems with the Akatsuki. Why had she trusted him?

But then again, he had trusted her with his age; something she knew that would probably be punished severely by the Hokage if she was to find out. Suddenly, she reached up and touched his porcelain mask with the tips of her fingers.

"I want to see what you look like," she whispered softly. They were in such an intense moment that she wondered if he'd finally pull off his disguise and show her who he really was.

Pulling his face away, Kakashi jumped to his feet. "I can't. I'm sorry," he apologized as Motoko's face fell slightly. "It's against the code to show anyone what we look like."

He knew that she'd keep quiet about it if he was to reveal his true identity. He knew she wouldn't say a word if he requested it. But his sense of duty was too sharp, he wouldn't break the promise he had made to the Godaime.

This was becoming dangerous territory. Retreating quickly towards the door, he said, "I promise I won't tell anyone about this, Motoko. Not even Hokage-sama. But I can't stay here because I know I'll take off my mask for you. I can't do that, I can't betray my village like this, I'm sorry…"

Motoko watched as the ANBU unlocked the door, then slid through it and shut it quietly behind him. Though her legs felt numb, she found herself standing up and walking towards the door to relock it. Once the task was done, she turned around and looked around her empty apartment, which sunk her into sadness even more.

He was gone, and she already missed his presence. Sick from the feeling of vulnerability that seemed to seep its way into her senses, she got up and shut off every light in the aparment before slipping under the comforting covers of her bed.

----------

A group of ninjas entered Konoha a week after Motoko had revealed her story to Kakashi. The medic nin was brushing her damp hair after coming out of a well-deserved shower since she was returning home from a rather busy day at the hospital when she heard the commotion. A loud crash resounded through the city, shaking most people awake.

Rushing to her window, she pushed it open and stuck her head out to peer at what could've caused such a rumble through the village. Narrowing her eyes to slits as she peered through the darkness, she could only make out some shadows moving underneath in the streets. There was an overwhelming smell of smoke in the air and some screams could be heard in the distance.

Her attention was then brought down to the moving shadows. Probably Konoha nins or ANBU who were going to check out the problem. Strangely, though, one shadow stopped. He seemed to be stuck in his spot but then he moved and seemed to raise an arm rather quickly.

Gasping as a shuriken whizzed past her ear, she retreated in her room and slammed the window shut.

_'No… no, no, no, no, no,'_ she repeated, drawing the blinds closed.

Strangely, though, the weapon's thrower didn't come back up to retrieve the metal piece as quietness enveloped Motoko's apartment. Another disturbance was heard –and felt- and she figured out that they must come from explosive tags being set off.

Akatsuki wouldn't use explosive tags, would they?

Nah. If it was the Akatsuki, she would already be found, tortured, and murdered in cold blood. It was definitely a different group that was attacking the village, but who?

Ten minutes passed and more explosive tags were being set off, more screams reaching Motoko's sensitive ears. Pacing her room in the dark, she sighed and crossed her arms against her chest. She had been warned to stay hidden inside if something the sort would happen, but the more she waited the more it was weighting on her to get out of the house. She wanted to get out there, to see what was happening, to lean who were causing all this.

That is, until sharp knocks were heard at her door.

----------

When the loud boom resonated through the streets, Kakashi felt himself emitting a sigh of complete irritation.

_'Why always in the best parts of the book?'_ he bitterly thought while stretching lazily. He was still sitting close to Motoko's apartment even if he was much careful not to be spotted by her. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy her company, but he found himself in a very… compromising position last time.

He had been so close to betraying one of his orders.

His father had betrayed his own orders; look at where **that** had led him.

Just as he thought of his relative, another boom sounded and he stood up fully before jumping out of his hiding place. He began to run through the shadows to get to the area where most of the noise seemed to come from when something stopped him. Halting rather abruptly, he looked up at an opened window with a head sticking out and peering at him.

"Kioshi, hurry up," a soft voice startled him from behind. Turning his head, he noticed another ANBU who passed by him without slowing down.

Since the other man was gone in a matter of seconds, Kakashi could raise his head once more to look at Motoko. She was still staring down at him, probably trying to figure out who he was.

_'She needs to get back inside…'_ he told himself, then sighed quietly in desperation. _'Why are women so curious?'_ With that thought, he reached in a pouch and pulled out a shuriken. With perfect aim, he hollered the weapon right at the post beside her window. Smirking slightly as he heard her yelp and retreat back in her apartment, he figured that she wouldn't be putting herself in danger tonight.

Looking back one last time, he built up some chakra in his legs to be able to run faster and activated his Sharingan as he realized that the air was filled with smoke.

There was going to be some trouble tonight.

* * *

A/N: 8D Cliffies! I so love writing them that when I do, it just warms me up to think of the reactions I'm surely going to get. 

I'm sorry for the late update (two entire days without updating- THE HORROR!) but I went into a small writer's block. I decided to bring up a battle scene and some little suspense. In case you don't see why this is such a cliffhanger, scroll up a bit and read the last line of Motoko's P.O.V. Heh.

Remember- reviews make me write faster!

Take care!


	8. A Raging Battle

Disclaimer  
If I'd own Naruto, my ideas wouldn't be on they'd be in the manga/anime…

Warning  
This chapter contains character death and violence. If you are uncomfortable with these subjects, do not read the following chapter.

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**Chapter Seven: A Raging ** **Battle******

Kakashi arrived at the battle scene seconds after setting out for it. Many Sound ninjas were already battling some fellow ANBU member of his, and the battle seemed to be of equal strength on both sides. The Copy Nin instantly noticed that most of the enemy ninjas remaining were ANBU members, all specialized Jounins. The few Chuunins who had followed the stronger shinobi were already dead.

It didn't take long for Kakashi's ninjaken to meet an inattentive Sound nin's mask. With a heavy swing, the blade cut right through the porcelain and embedded itself in the flesh under it. He didn't flinch the slightest as the body fell to the ground, his sympathy being put aside for the fight. Afterwards, Kakashi barely had time to turn around as a kunai was thrown towards him at an incredible speed. He ducked it quickly and it harmlessly struck a building behind him. 

He quickly surveyed the battle scene and instantly noticed the lifeless bodies of some of his fellow ANBU. As his eyes quickly swept the area, the Jounin who had told him earlier to hurry right before he had thrown the shuriken at Motoko fell to the ground. He was holding his side while gasping in pain, a fresh wound cut open while he looked up fearfully at the man who was about to finish him off.

A much familiar picture flashed its way in front of Kakashi's eyes. Rocks falling, tumbling towards him at an unnatural pace. A shout coming from behind him. Rough hands pushing him aside. A body, unmoving under the pile of fallen stones… His lone eye peering at his fallen comrade… _'Obito.'_

The Sound nin raised his blade menacingly, then snickered and brought it down. The blade whizzed as it cut through the air in the direction of the Konoha shinobi's throat. Inches before the blow would've been final, the Jounin's hand stopped. Well no. The hand was flung a few feet away with the sword still attached while the arm stopped abruptly.

Blinking rapidly, the man's mouth fell open as he turned his disbelieving eyes towards Kakashi. "Y-you chopped off my hand," he said stupidly, obviously in shock.

Smirking, Kakashi nodded as he looked at the bloody stub where the hand once was. But he soon took the opportunity of shock to finish the man off.

Standing up on shaking legs, the Jounin gave Kakashi a look of gratitude, but when it came time to speak he coughed and spat out some thick blood.

Kakashi pulled out a kunai and hollered it at an upcoming shinobi while nodding. "Get out of here," he ordered, pulling out more weapons. "I'll cover for you while you sneak out. Head to the hospital, surely most medics will be ready to heal the wounded."

Kakashi carefully waited until the man was out of sight before jumping back in the battle. His feet were hitting puddles of blood as he began to slash out his weapon with a deadly drive. He fought and fought, minutes dragging by as more horror met his eyes. He couldn't see the houses surrounding him anymore, couldn't see the terrified children who tried to peek through the curtains while their mothers ushered them back. There was no way he could have seen the three Leaf Chuunins who jumped in the battle, thinking they were up to the challenge.

He didn't see the Chuunin scream while docking the dozen of shuriken thrown towards him. He didn't see the weapons approaching him, but he felt them when half collided with his back.

_'How did this happen?_' he asked himself as an excruciating wave of pain tackled his senses. Wobbling dangerously, he finished the enemy he had been fighting before crumbling to the ground in the midst of battle.

----------

Whimpering slightly at the rough knocks at her door, Motoko felt herself taking steps backward like if it could save her life. A foreboding feeling rushed through the room, making the air heavy and almost not breathable.

It was only when the familiar voice seeped through the door that she found herself relaxing and starting to breathe again.

"Motoko! Unlock the damned door this minute or I'll break it down myself!"

The medic nin rushed forward and quickly fumbled with the padlocks. Once the very last one was tugged free, the door burst open and Motoko had to jump backward so she wouldn't be hit.

"It's about time," Tsunade mumbled, pushing her way inside and grabbing the girl's arm. "Get over here; we need you down at the hospital. A lot of people will be injured tonight, and it's not because you're a guest here that you'll get a night off!"

Nodding quickly, Motoko barely had time to grab a decent sweater before rushing out of her apartment behind the Godaime. The run to the hospital went by fast and as soon as the pair arrived, their eyes met chaos.

Bleeding, hurting, screaming, trashing, weeping, dying…

Everywhere Motoko looked, confusion reigned. Most of the patients were injured, the rest of the people were friends or family screaming and wailing in terror at the sight of their loved ones.

She was quickly ordered to take the mortally wounded to one of her usual rooms and to take care of them. The first man she rushed upstairs was one whose side was bleeding profusely. He had no one fussing over him, no one to scream and beg for him to cling to life.

He was alone.

Grasping the stretcher he had been put on, she quickly wheeled him to an empty room and transferred him to a bed despite his groans of protests.

Motoko didn't care about his identity as she ripped the bird mask from the ANBU's face, tossing it on the counter where it fell with a heavy crash. She didn't care about the price of said mask as she quickly asked the man, "What happened?"

Gasping with agony, he fixed his eyes on the ceiling as Motoko began to rip the clothing from his chest to have a better look at his chest. The man was rapidly withering and wouldn't survive unless she did something right away.

"Kioshi…" the man whispered, "He… saved my life and put… himself in danger… thank him for me, please…"

His eyes rolled backwards and his body became limp before she could even try to do anything about it. Groaning in despair, she tried a few hand seals but it was in vain. The man was dead. Dead, and he had given her his last wish. It was only when she remembered his dying words that it really sunk in: Kioshi was in this battle. He was fighting. He could be hurt right now, he could be dying.

Not wasting a second, she pulled a cover over the man's head before closing his eyelids peacefully. Turning on her heels, she rushed out of the room and into the hallway, where the gruesome sight of tattered people met her eyes.

She quickly passed through the people, her vision trained on finding one man. She searched, searched, and searched until a commotion stopped her dead in her tracks.

"Tsunade!" a girl's voice cut through the air. "Tsunade, come here! Now!"

Motoko could only watch as the Hokage made her way to a panic-stricken Sakura, who kept pointing and waving at a room. Tears were drowning the emerald eyes of the kunoichi as Tsunade's face fell and she entered the room. Motoko barely had time to peek in the room before the door was shut in front of her eyes. She only saw the bloody mask of Kioshi falling uselessly to the ground. 

* * *

A/N: I think I'm going to start another tradition. Get a cliffie for every single chapter! XD Tell me what you think, reviewers! 

Sorry for the wait, also. Work has been consuming my time these last few days. But now I had two hours to burn and I just finished burning them with this chapter!

I didn't like it that much, but meh. It was for you action, suspense, drama, and gore lovers. Can't write fluff **all** the time can I?

Take care!_  
_


	9. Friends and Feelings

Disclaimer  
I'm running out of creative ways to say I do not own Naruto…

Dedication  
Even if the entire fic is dedicated to Alexz, I want to offer this chapter to Rainy. Just because I'll miss you terribly… v.v

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_  
_**Chapter Eight: Friends and Feelings**

Despite wanting to stay by the door or to barge inside and beg Tsunade to help, Motoko couldn't force herself to move from the position she was currently in. People needed her help, sure, but one of the two people she considered as 'important' to her in this village was dying while the other one was desperately trying to save him. Stepping forward as an almost hysteric Sakura was walking back and forth, she leaned over and touched the door longingly. 

_'Why is this affecting me so much?'_ she asked herself as a feeling of emptiness washed throughout her body. A knot was building its way in her throat as her hands begun to shake slightly.

Then she began to heal. Heal, heal, heal, and heal, people of every size, stature, ranks. One after the other, whatever problem they had would be fixed. She was doing it in a state of denial, ignoring the feeling of heaviness that pushed down on her chest as her chakra supply diminished with every minute.

Finally, after hours upon hours of work, the entire medical staff had cleared the halls of agonizing patient. Those who had lived through the night were peacefully sleeping in a room, recovering from their wounds.

Wobbling dangerously on her feet fromthe lack of chakra, sleep, and energy, Motoko quickly made her way to the room she had seen Kioshi last time. Lightly knocking, she pushed the door open and stepped inside. The room was clean, with all the blood washed off and the sheets in the bed changed. The only problem was…

It was empty.

The lump returned in her throat, though this time much bigger. Her heart sunk painfully as she reached out a hand to the wall to steady herself. Her teeth began to chatter lightly with shock as her legs moved on their own towards the bed. As her fingertips lightly grazed the white covers of the bed, she shook her head lightly to clear it. She had been around medics for most of her life; she knew what a clean, immaculate empty room meant.

_'Kami… he can't be dead…'_ she thought to herself, turning around and sinking down on the bed. It smelled new, with the faint aroma of the detergent used to clean the linens. So unlike the scent of blood and sweat that she would've expected from a stricken ANBU.

Standing up quietly, she numbly walked out of the room and shut the door behind her. It was only when she arrived at her apartment that she realized that she had walked out for that area. Entering it, she made her way to her window and opened it, peering out in hope of finding him sitting in his usual spot.

Her heart constricted painfully as she slipped her head out of the window to get a better look. The sun was getting up lazily, drowning the sky in a light purple color and casting shadows all across the place. Especially over the ANBU who was leaning across the tree painfully, almost as if waiting for something.

Not even bothering to shut the window, she whirled around and was out of the door within a second. The descent of the stairs took only a fraction of a minute and she soon skidded to a stop in front of the man.

His mask had been cleaned, but she could hear his ragged breathing from behind it. He had left his cloak behind and she could see the muscles in his arms, the black tattoos that proclaimed him an ANBU. Forcing all the anger she could muster into a glare, she adopted a defiant look upon her face and grabbed his arm.

"What the hell are you doing here, Kioshi! Go back to the hospital now!" she snapped, even if her heart was booming with relief at seeing him.

Kakashi smirked slightly despite his pain as he looked at her fake angry face.

"I don't like hospitals and I knew you'd be worried. I just wanted you to know I was still alive," he said quietly, his voice strained with the agony he felt in his back.

Motoko huffed indignantly, but before she knew what she was doing her hand slid along his arm and slipped into his.

"I was worried," she confirmed, lowering her head. "But I had something to tell you. A man died and he was an ANBU, just like you, but when I read his chart afterwards it said that he had just become one a week ago. When he passed away, he told me to tell you thanks. Why?"

It was then that she noticed that Kioshi's hand was trembling. Tightening her grasp, she frowned and looked up at him. She heard him sigh shakily before he took out his hands and said softly, "Iruka…"

Still perplexed, Motoko gently asked, "Yes, that was his name. Was he a good friend of yours?"

Scoffing softly, Kakashi was suddenly glad for the porcelain mask on his face. It hid his pained features as he said, "He had been a teacher for so many years. He taught my ancient students how to become ninjas and he also taught the generation after that. Then he wanted something bigger, so he trained for his Jounin exams, and upon passing he requested to become an ANBU. I think Tsunade pitied him slightly because she accepted despite his inexperience."

The familiar way that Kioshi was talking about Iruka struck a chord of sympathy in the medic nin's heart. Reaching over, she found herself wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pulling him into an embrace, being careful to feel his movements so she'd know if she would hurt him.

Kakashi allowed himself to be hugged, but then pulled away. "I have some reports to do," he said, forcing his voice to sound normal. "I have to go."

Nodding in understanding, Motoko offered him a weak smile as he turned around and jumped up on the nearest roof before disappearing.

----------

Two days later the weather was grey and most people were present for the funeral of the many shinobi who passed away. Tsunade had requested the ANBU members to wear their outfits out of respect since many people who had died were in the organization themselves.

The ceremony went by too quickly for Kakashi as he regarded the picture of a grinning Iruka. The man that had become his friend had passed away. Had died. Was gone.

When Tsunade said that they could leave, the place took hours to empty. But Kakashi still didn't budge a muscle in front of the casket that carried the body of his friend. He couldn't help but remember the many disputes they had had over Naruto's education, over the Chuunin exams, and over many other things. Regretfully wondering if all his friends were meant to die, it was natural of him to recoil when he felt a soft hand upon his arm.

Turning his head, he peered through the eyes of his mask at Motoko, who was clad in black from head to toe.

"Can I do something, Kioshi?" she whispered gently, pushing her hands in her pockets.

Looking around the now deserted garden, he wordlessly shrugged and returned his attention to the picture. Motoko patiently stood beside him and waited for him to be ready to leave, not wanting to abandon him alone when he surely needed someone to be there for him. In fact, the ceremony had ended hours ago and he still didn't seem ready to leave the area. The last person beside the pair, Tsunade herself, had left a half hour ago.

More minutes passed and Motoko retreated towards the chairs to sit down. She was tired since her shifts at the hospital had been lengthened considering al the work that had to be done and all the patients who needed to be checked up. But no matter how drowsy she'd get, she wouldn't leave until he was ready.

Finally after a while she heard footsteps leaving. Her eyes snapping open, she realized that Kioshi was standing beside her. The sun had lowered and the sky was orange, making the pure white mask look yellow with the force of the sun. Standing up, she followed him until he stopped directly at her apartment door.

"Y-You didn't have to walk me home," she stammered, looking at the doorknob awkwardly.

Shrugging, the Copy Nin answered, "It's my job. Iruka died in the line of duty, I'd be a coward to let my work down after paying him my last respects."

Stuck between her inner desire and her sense of compassion, she muttered out, "Do you want to come in?" It was then that she realized that maybe he had a family. Hell, the guy was in his late twenties, he could even have children. Then here she was, hugging him and telling him to come inside of her home. Maybe he had someone waiting for him at home, someone who'd cheer him up in ways that she could never, someone who'd--

"I'd love to," he answered quietly, then pushed the unlocked door and stepped inside.

* * *

A/N: I chose not to end with a cliffhanger this time. Heh, many of you thought that she'd finally get to see under his mask, hm? Surprise, surprise, I chose an alternate situation. Bwhaha! 

I live on reviews, remember. Now since one of my favorite reviewer is leaving, you guys better pick it up a notch and leave me amazing reviews!

Take care!


	10. Of Evening and Morning

Disclaimer  
My box of cool disclaimers is empty… Have to go buy some more…

* * *

**Chapter Nine: Of Evening and Morning**

Still subdued from the funeral, Kakashi allowed himself to sink onto Motoko's soft bed. He closed his eyes beneath the mask as he heard her gentle footsteps echo in the back of the room, then a small pressure on the mattress beside him.

He sighed deeply while wondering seriously if he was somehow cursed. Both of his parents, Obito, Rin, his old sensei, and now Iruka. Everyone he loved was dying.

The same cool touch he had felt at the funeral came upon the skin of his arm again. Comforting, yet at the same time sorrowful. Cracking his normal eye open, he peered at her through his mask and noticed she was looking down at him with a soft frown adorning her features.

_'I shouldn't do this... she's a missing nin now, she ran away from her village, and she'd being chased by the Akatsuki. I can't take that chance to get close to her...'_ he tried to tell himself before he tugged his hand away and fell backwards on the bed.

His eyelids lazily shut themselves over his red and black orbs, shutting the once colorful world into oblivion. His tired muscles weighted as if he had trained for hours upon hours and his head thumped painfully as he sighed. Soon, all his tight muscles relaxed as he fell into a deep sleep.

Motoko grinned softly as she saw his head lightly fall to the side and heard his shallow breaths slow down. Standing up quietly, she crept out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. If anyone was to see a sleeping ANBU in her bed… she'd have a lot of explaining to do.

Sinking down on one chair, she leaned forward and dropped her head on her arms which were resting on the table. She was also exhausted from the long day she'd just had, but since the man had taken her bed she didn't have much choice than to sleep on the dining table.

----------

Kakashi woke up the next day feeling much better. The tension in his body seemed to have melted away into a reluctant acceptance that Iruka was gone. Sitting up weakly, he realized that the mask was still faithfully on his face and his cloak still draped over his shoulders.

Getting out of the bed, he walked towards the kitchen, where an interesting sight met his eyes. Motoko was literally sleeping on the table. Her face was propped up in her arms, but she was sleeping heavily nonetheless.

Smiling, Kakashi gently leaned over and put a hand on her shoulder to wake her up. She stirred slightly once or twice, but still didn't arise.

Leaving her be, the Copy Nin walked over to the counter and in under three minutes had a boiling coffee ready. Setting it gently in front of Motoko, he once again put his hand on her shoulder and shook it in a firm manner. This time her grey eyes opened slowly before blinking in surprise, but then she smiled and closed them again while muttering something that resembled, "Good morning."

"And good morning to you too," he said rather cheerfully, sitting beside her as she peered at the coffee cup in front of her. The look on her face was one of pure suspicion as the fuming liquid seemed to stare back at her.

"I just made it," he reassured her with a smirk. "It's drinkable, don't worry!"

Grinning, she reached over and touched the cup with sleep-numb fingers. The warm feeling surged through her frigid body as she held it with both hands.

"Hm, I'm not sure if I want to drink it or hold it," she grinned lazily, "It's rather cold here, don't you think."

When the Jounin didn't answer, a soft laugh slipped from her throat. "No pick up lines, don't worry. I won't ask you to hold me in your arms to warm me up either."

Smirking lightly, Kakashi nodded and waited for her to sip the coffee. Only five minutes later did she finish the cup, and the ANBU stood up once she had done so.

"I should return home," he said lightly, turning his head to avoid her sorrowful eyes.

Remembering her thoughts the day before about him being maybe a husband or a father returned full force, she nodded quickly and also stood up to show him out of the door.

Just as the Jounin touched the doorknob, he stopped and turned his head lightly. The woman was looking at him with a smile plastered on her face, and he couldn't help his next actions. Leaning over, he wrapped his arms around her for a second time and held her tightly against his chest. Her hands quickly found their way around his back, erasing whatever distance there might have been between them.

Lifting one hand, Kakashi gently tugged off his porcelain mask. His blue cloth one he always wore was loyally covering his face and a sudden burst of details met one half of his vision because of the Sharingan.

Raising her head to bid him goodbye, she couldn't help staring as an actual face stared back at her. Blinking in surprise, she murmured, "K-Kioshi?"

Pulling back his hood and easily ripping off the ties that held his hair, he shook it out and whispered, "I thought you deserved to see who I really am. We're both the same, Motoko. Two lone beings with something to hide…"

With those words, he turned around and left the apartment, being careful to slip his mask back onto his face.

Staring at Kakashi Hatake had been a definite surprise. As she rushed to the window to see him retreat towards his home, she couldn't help but smile. A smile that was crushed with a sigh as she murmured to herself, "I can't believe it… I have him take off one mask only to find a second one under it…"

* * *

A/N: Yeah I know it's short and probably riddled with errors. I've only scanned it once or twice for mistakess, I didn't proofread it like usually and I'm gonna stop the chapter here for many reasons. One, writer's block. Two, I've just had an awful emotional roller coaster these last few days and I don't really feel like writing. Three, I had to rewrite the entire chapter because the document editor ate out half and I lost the original document. Sarcastic 'yay' time.

Yeah, it's short. Bear with me. 

Take care!


	11. The Betrayer Strikes Again

Disclaimer  
Rainy said I had cool disclaimers, so I guess I won't have to buy some anymore…

**Chapter 10: The Betrayer Strikes Again**

Two weeks had passed since the massacre and the townspeople of Konoha were slowly getting adjusted to the absence of many loved ones. A lot of shinobi were found at the training ground again, struggling as hard as they could to get better and stronger than the day before.

After wrapping the leg of a patient, Motoko gently smiled and nodded as the girl thanked her and took off. Stretching lazily, the woman slid on her coat and walked out of the room, heading towards the front door of the hospital. The noon sun was still high in the sky, providing the people with a glorious strike of lighting and heat. As she headed to a small restaurant not too far from her working place, she noticed three figures standing not too far off.

Sakura and Sai were bickering while their sensei eyed them with a look that bordered exasperation on the visible quarter of his face. As if on cue, Kakashi raised his eyes and locked them with Motoko's, who grinned at him and raised a hand in greeting.

There hadn't been any 'nightly visits' ever since the one after Iruka's funeral, but Motoko didn't mind. Sometimes before she'd go to bed she'd peek out of her window to find him sitting in his usual place with his Icha Icha Paradise faithfully opened in his lap. How he could read that thing over and over would stay a mystery for life.

Now every time that she would cross him in the streets, they'd exchange polite greetings instead of readily ignoring each other like before. A knowing smile would slip itself on Motoko's lips, but she'd push it away before it could attract any attention.

Secrecy. 

She ate her lunch quickly since she was alone. There was no reason for her to stay any longer, so she hurried back to the hospital so she'd be able to clock in a half hour of overtime. 

She was greeted with a young nurse the second she arrived. The girl was holding a chart and seemed nervous as she handed it to the medic nin.

"A-A man arrived from another village. He's wounded and r-requires some attention r-right away," the woman stuttered, pushing the chart into Motoko's hand. Then she quickly whirled around and was gone in under three seconds.

_'Well that was strange,_' the grey-eyed nin thought, looking down at the thin folder. It only held one paper, which read in a soft writing, "Male, approximately 190 pounds and a height of 6'2, name unknown. Complains of fever, abdominal pain, migraines, and nausea."

Now it was unusual for any nurse to only write such a quick description of a patient or a case, but considering the fact that he was 6'2 and obviously heavy-set, Motoko could forgive her. Pulling off her leather jacket, she hung it quickly in the closet reserved for employees and made her way to the assigned room. 

Sighing, she gently ran a finger through her hair and knocked lightly on the door. A grunted answer was heard from the inside, so Motoko stepped in and shut the door behind her.

"Hello!" she said rather cheerfully, lowering her eyes to pretend she was reading his "file". As she did so, her peripheral vision allowed her to roughly see the man's stature. All the 190 pounds were obviously in hard muscles, and he was clutching his stomach with a well-toned arm.

"Motoko…"

Her name was spoken in a slow, slightly surprised baritone voice. Raising her eyes to meet black, taunted ones, she frowned lightly and strained her mind to remember where she had seen the man before. Stubs adorned his face like if he hadn't shaven in several days and dark circles were surrounding his eyes. His breathing was haggard and he was slumpled forward in an unhealthy fashion while his greasy brown hair plastered his forehead.

At first nothing clicked, but then a horrified expression installed itself on her face.

"Nobu?" she whispered, the file dropping from her numb fingers and hitting the ground with a soft noise. To say that he had changed would be an understatement. She quickly walked to the other side of the room towards him and reached up to touch his cheek.

Her hand didn't connect with the stubbly skin since Nobu reached out and grabbed her wrist in an iron grasp. His features darkened as he tightened his hold on her wrist, making her whimper in pain as she froze. She had remembered Nobu as being a bigger, tougher man, but to actually hurt her like this… this wasn't him. Something had happened.

She saw the chakra spinning around his hand as he tightened his grasp even more. Soon, she felt one of her bones snapping and a treacherous amount of pain filled her arm. Yelping in agony, she pulled her arm back the second he released his grasp. 

Cradling her severed hand into the other, she raised stricken eyes at her childhood friend and took a few steps back.

"I heard you were here," he hissed, his eyes filling with hate. "You did a horrible job at hiding yourself, going to the nearest shinobi village!"

Motoko backed up until her back touched the wall as Nobu jumped down from the hospital bed. As he took a few steps towards her, she turned around and rushed towards the closed door to escape, but he was too quick for her. His ninja speed made it possible for him to grab the doorknob before her, blocking her path to freedom.

The medic nin considered shouting for help, but then she took a deep breath and calmed herself down. _'Time to use those taijutsus I leaned…'_ she told herself, but the second she raised her hand for a hand seal she yelped and instantly brought them down.

"Your wrist is broken, so you can't use any jutsu," Nobu sighed, crossing his arms. "It's not like you have any reason to do so right. We're childhood **friends**."

Blinking back tears of anguish, she backed up again but he stepped forward and grabbed her chin. Leaning down, he whispered in her ear, "My brother died. They told me that the only way I was to live was if I'd find you." With those words, he backed up and looked at her longingly before brushing away her hair.

"My brother always loved you," he continued. "And you killed him."

Staring slightly with surprise, she tried to pull away but he grasped her uninjured wrist and held onto it tightly.

"This is from him," he whispered before pressing his lips down on hers, forcing her back against the wall.

Memories of Norio flashed through Motoko's mind as she hopelessly tried to free herself. Just as he was about to pull away, the door was pushed open gently.

The pair turned around and met the eye of Kakashi staring at them, his features shocked. At first he didn't react, but then his face fell and said, "Sorry to bother. I thought you might've wanted to… meet tonight. But I guess you'll be busy after all." 

Snickering, Nobu nodded at Kakashi and returned his eyes to Motoko. "Your boyfriend?" he nosily inquired.

"No," both of the people in question answered as Motoko threw a pleading glance at Kakashi. The Jounin caught the distraught look on her face and lightly dropped one hand on his hip as he opened the door wider with the other.

"There is something I need to tell Motoko. Do you mind if she steps out for a second?" Kakashi quickly inquired, nodding towards the opening.

Nobu sighed and nodded before releasing Motoko. It didn't take a second for the injured nin to step out of the door before Kakashi gave a warning look to Nobu and stepping out.

Just as the door was shut behind them, Nobu turned around and silently opened the window. Hopping out, he pushed chakra in his legs to give him speed and sprinted away from the village, making sure his Mist Village headband wasn't visible around his arm.

A few hours later, he stopped at a dark clearing. Only red eyes were visible in front of the heavyset man, but they still made him quake.

"S-she's in Konoha," he stammered uneasily, clutching both hands together. "She's a medic nin and she's working in the hospital, but there's a Jounin watching over her. She—"

His voice echoed into nothingness as she pair of red eyes vanished. The last thing that was heard was a cruel smirk echoing in the silence of the night.

--

A/N: Oh gosh, I was supposed to be off the computer a half hour ago, but I had to post this. Mom will be so mad.

Review!

Take care! 


	12. A Serious Discussion

Disclaimer  
My disclaimer got lost on the pathway of life…

* * *

**Chapter 11: A Serious Discussion**

Feeling rather self-conscious as she stepped out of the room behind Kakashi, Motoko couldn't stop the awkwardness of the situation to get to her. If it would've been anyone but Kakashi who would've caught her, it wouldn't have been that bad… but to have **him** catch her in **that** position… 

It only spelled trouble.

He led her to an empty room, where he pushed the door open and stepped inside. Closing it behind them as she entered, he sighed deeply and turned around to face her. 

The medic nin's cheeks were still tinted red from embarrassment and her eyes were glued to his shoes. Her bangs fell into her face, half covering it as she nervously shifted her weight from one foot to the other, looking almost like a little girl who was about to get rebuked by a parent. Kakashi couldn't help but smile to himself at the nervous way she was acting even if the situation was rather serious.

"What happened?" he inquired, crossing his arms and leaning on the wall.

Motoko looked up at him sorrowfully and said, "Kakashi… do you know who that was?"

The Jounin's eyes were locked into hers as he waited for her to answer the rhetorical question. Closing her eyes, she mumbled something inaudible before speaking louder.

"It was Nobu."

His eyebrows instantly rose at hearing that piece of information. Letting his arms fall to his side as he stepped closer to her, his face curious.

"So he knows you're here…" he finally asked, ignoring the heavy question that weighted upon his heart. There were many more important things that needed to be discussed, things that came with the news that the man who had betrayed her might do so again.

"He was desperate, Kakashi! He said that the only way the Akatsuki would leave him alone is if he would tell them where I was! If you hadn't stepped in, he probably would've forced me to go with him! I was sure he was going to attack me and—"

A finger was gently laid on her lips as she opened her eyes to meet Kakashi's. He had stepped closer to her during her speech and he now took her wrist in his hands to examine it.

As soon as his gentle fingers touched her wrist to assess the damage, she yelped out in pain and tried pulling her hand away. Since he was tightly holding it, though, it only increased the amount of pain she was feeling and she had to bite the inside of her mouth to keep from crying out loud.

"I may not be a medic nin like you," Kakashi sighed, letting her hand go, "but I know the basics in case something went wrong with my Genin team."

With those words he formed a few hand seals which Motoko instantly recognized. Anesthesia. Soon the pain in her hand subsides to an aching numbness, but she wasn't complaining. It was much better than the excruciating pain she had felt earlier.

"Only so it can hold up until you see a real doctor," he said gently, then took in a deep sigh. This was the moment; he had to take it off his chest. That was something they should be discussing since there seemed to be an unspoken agreement between the two. Their looks when they'd see each other in the streets was enough to know that there was something going on in the back of their minds.

"When I came in, you were kissing him," he said quietly, looking right in her eyes. "What—"

Unfortunately the door burst open and a nurse jumped in. She looked almost frantic, but seemed to relax slightly when her eyes met the two. "Motoko-san, a patient was seen jumping out of your window! He—"

The woman was talking to air as the two nins rushed past her.

Skidding to a stop as he reached Nobu's room, Kakashi ran inside without knocking to find the window wide open. The curtains flittered with the breeze peacefully as Motoko stopped beside him, her eyes narrowed. He could see she was worried, but there was nothing he could do for that as he went to the window and looked outside.

Of course, Nobu had left the area a long time ago.

"Come on," Kakashi said seriously, pushing the thoughts of her kiss with Nobu to the back of his mind as he walked past her and headed towards the Hokage Tower. "Tsunade will need to hear about this. We may have the Akatsuki down on us anytime now."

----------

Kakashi looked around himself at the darkened streets, then lowered his eyes to look at his faithfully motionless dog. "Ready, Pakkun?" he asked quietly.

The dog nodded and muttered, "So you want me to find the Akatsuki?"

The Copy nin sighed and looked down at his Jounin uniform. The sharp words Tsunade had yelled at him when he had made his offer returned, but he chose to ignore them. After all, she had confirmed his doubts. _'This is a suicide mission, Kakashi…'_ her words echoed in his mind, _'There is no way you can take on the entire Akatsuki on your own!'_

Deep within himself he knew she was right. But if there would be anything he could do to protect her, he would do it. The Godaime had ordered the girl to go to another village for the time being, so Motoko would be accompanied by two ANBU captains to another location. A secret location.

Despite his protests and his request to accompany her, Tsunade had refused and had ordered him to stay behind to fend off the Akatsuki with the rest of the ANBU group. It was then that he had decided to go on his own even if he didn't have a single plan in mind.

"Yeah," he said quietly to Pakkun. "Find them."

* * *

A/N: Another shorter chapter. Also it took me a long time to update. Sorry, I'm trying to juggle through jobs, two stories and BETA reading for three people. Everything's kind of hectic, sorry if it's not as good as it could be. 

Give me long reviews! I'll appreciate it!

Take care!


	13. Panic Forest

Disclaimer  
Why do people disclaim, anyway… It's not like our fics will actually happen… well not mine anyways.

* * *

**Chapter 12: Panic Forest**

Every shadow seemed to be a treacherous being, ready to snap out at her. Motoko felt herself shivering as the two ANBU captains walked by her side, as silent as the grave. It didn't help that the air was chilly, making her shaky breaths turn into see-through clouds and dampening the atmosphere to a downright spooky look.

Of course, the ANBU had insisted that they walk through a small, hidden trail through the forest. Just in case. Yeah, well they didn't seem to remember that the people after her were the Akatsuki. Whether she was out in the open or sneaking around in bushes, they'd find her and gladly make her die in the undergrowth. 

As she walked she allowed her mind to drift slightly. When they had arrived in Tsunade's office and had mentioned the true story about why the Akatsuki were chasing her, the Godaime had been furious.

_'I guess that not having Kakashi with me is my punishment…'_ she thought to herself, wondering if she'd ever get the pleasure to see him again. Probably not. Surely either he or she would soon end up in the clutches of Itachi, dead. Yeah, that was probably going to happen.

As minutes trickled by, the silence became oppressing. Motoko's lids shut down over her eyes, pushing a blanket of darkness over the once dark forest. The only sound that reached her ears was the footsteps of her fellow comrades. The rythmic sound almost made the medic nin fall asleep, until a grunt was emitted to her right and a gasp from her left.

Snapping her eyes open, she turned around to see the ANBU on her right doubled over, dead. Motoko fell to her knees, turning the body over as she did so, immediately looking for any weapons that might've reached him as the other capitain cautiously regarded his surroundings.

"Come on," he ordered in a crisp voice. "That was Genjutsu. We aren't alone."

Shocked that he wanted to leave the man behind, the woman clung to the thick cloak of the fallen ANBU and looked up shakily at the standing one. The serious look on his face told her that it wasn't time to reason or to grieve, but to get the hell out of there as soon as possible. Nodding slowly in understanding, she stood up and began to follow him, this time while keeping her eyes wide open. She felt a shiver course through her body, knowing deep inside that it could've been Kakashi that would've died instead of an unknown man.

It felt more like a daze than anything else as they made their way out of the thicker portion of the forest. The heaviness around them thickened as Motoko looked around herself in a paranoid fashion.

"Hold my cloak so you won't get lost, we're going to go into thick foliage. The trees are thick on top, so they block the moonlight we have tonight. You can relax, the guy who killed my friend stopped following us. I don't sense his presence anymore," the ANBU explained softly, setting foot in utter darkness. Gulping slightly, the medic nin nodded and grabbed a handful of his black cloak with her uninjured hand before following him. Her wrist still hadn't been properly healed, which meant she couldn't use any Jutsu if something happened to her protectors. Forcing any bad thoughts out of her mind, she forced herself to focus on walking through the area.

Let's just say it was a frightening experience.

She had no clue how the man could see, especially not in such pitch darkness. Sometimes he'd stop abruptly, would take a few steps to the left or right, then would continue onwards. The walk seemed to last hours as every calculated step was done in utter silence.

Suddenly, the ANBU tripped on a root and had to struggle to regain his footing. With his action, though, the cloak was ripped out of Motoko's hand, making her immediately panic. Frantically she reached out and begun swinging her arms around, trying to find the ANBU's cloak back.

After about five seconds, she heard something moving and stiffened as she carefully reached out her hand. It soon connected with the thick fabric, so she clung to it and breathed a sigh of relief as they began to move again.

Later they came across a clearing, which was lighted by moonlight. The ANBU moved directly into it, the soft pale shade of the light illuminating them instantly. Motoko looked around, not paying attention in front of her anymore as she peered at the enthralling scenery. Every shadow and light seemed to be a different shade of blue while the trees remained dark and mysterious. The sky was starry and the moon was shining brightly above them, giving the area a fairytale aura.

The thing that made her bring her attention back to the ANBU was because he stopped dead in his tracks in the middle of the clearing and turned his head lightly to look at her. Motoko looked down at the cloak she was still holding on to, but then the blood froze in her veins as she noticed red swirls printed into the black fabric.

As she raised her eyes, they connected instantly with Itachi's, who had a cold and passive expression on his face. The first five seconds were spent in a daze as she regarded the man, her body frigid with shock. Her hand began to tremble as it dropped the handful she'd had on his cloak while taking a step backward. Then she did the only thing that her terrified mind told her to do.

She ran back in the forest as fast as she could.

Strangely, the Akatsuki didn't follow her as she engulfed herself in the darkness. Instead he stayed put in his position as a malicious grin worked its way on his lips. She wouldn't get far…

Ever tried running around with closed eyes? That's how dark it was in the forest.

It didn't take Motoko ten seconds to run right into a tree, the thick bark connecting sharply with her face. Groaning as she bit her lip harshly and fell backwards, the medic took a few seconds to listen to her surroundings. Everything was calm and quiet, no telltale footsteps around her. But instead of soothing her, that simple thing only freaked her out more.

Getting up, she began her race again, this time slower and while her outreached hands tried stopping the most major accidents that might occur. She made her way about fifty feet before the next incident happened: the ground sloped drastically.

Motoko's left foot touched the ground carefully, then the right one reached forward to do the same thing. But it didn't rest on the dirty forest soil like it previously had.

A scream of surprise erupted from her throat as she went plunging forward into the small ravine, tumbling rather roughly downhill. She felt all the air whooshing from her body as it struck the ground and skidded to a stop against a rock.

At first she didn't move, her head spinning crazily with both fear and intense pain. Instantly cursing herself for not being more careful, she opened her eyes to find that she had crumbled in a small trail, surrounded by thick trees in a cavity in the ground. The trees were almost unnaturally aligned on the edge of the cavity, making a wall between her and the forest.

Unbelieving her situation, Motoko got up and gasped painfully as a jet of pain seared through her leg. Gritting her teeth against the bad luck she was having, the woman began to stumble forward into a slow walk. She had no clue where she was going, no idea what she had done for this to happen to her, but there wasn't any time for her to ponder on her situation.

"This has to be a dream," she whispered uneasily to herself, the soft sound of her voice keeping her from going insane in the agonizingl silence.

"No, it isn't…" Itachi's voice drifted from far behind her.

A scream erupted from her throat as she noticed red eyes to her left, glaring at her. But they didn't move, so she simply limped past them and kept on going as fast as she could.

Everywhere she turned, Motoko could see the eyes. The deep, cruel set of orbs that followed her every move, terrorizing and taunting her. They didn't leave her for one second, preferring to scare the living daylights of her as she walked through the darkened forest.

As if the eyes weren't enough, Itachi began to laugh- a deep, guttural sound into the unnaturally quiet night. The hair on the base of her neck frigidly stood on end as she clenched her mouth to keep herself from whimpering. The medic-nin quickened her already frantic steps, simply wanting to reach the end of this cursed forest before he would get her.

The next thing that came were the footsteps as the man began to follow her. He made sure to walk upon every twig possible, simply to make his presence known to her.

Motoko's throat tightened as she saw the obstacle in front of her. An iron fence rested far ahead, blocking her path. It only took her a mere matter of seconds before she was forced to stop in front of the massive restriction. The man also stopped directly behind her, the fabric of his clothing brushing against her hands, his breath tickling her neck.

"This is as far as you go, Motoko…"

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A/N: Here guys, a long chapter! XD What, can I hear some people whining that it wasn't long enough? Or that I actually ended it with a cliffie? Well too bad! -Angelic face- You guys just got an action-filled descriptive chapter! What else do you want? 

Review! Long reviews! I love them! Also please notice me if the Document Editor chopped off something (a.k.a if a sentence finishes really randomly).

Big thanks to Iky and Bonez, who spat out ideas to me until my brain got toggled back into gear! Stupid writer's block… now I have my idea, thank you ladies!

Take care!


	14. Possession

Disclaimer  
… How troublesome… Geez, now I don't even own my disclaimer… 

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**Chapter 13: Possession  
**

"This is as far as you go, Motoko…"

The words were icy, cold, and said to provoke fear. The medic nin was shivering uncontrollably, but not because her body temperature was low. Simple, pure fear made her shake as a sob of defeat escaped her lips. Itachi was right behind her, keeping her from going anywhere since the gates were blocking her way. If she had found these gates minutes before, she would've been thrilled since gates meant village, and village meant security…

Now it only meant death.

Seconds tickled by without having him do anything to her. The silence was building up, the tension hanging heavily in the air as Motoko heard her own shallow breathing gasp out in fear at irregular intervals. But seconds landed up in minutes, until Motoko snapped out, "Kami! Just kill me already?"

A small snicker was heard behind her as the Akatsuki member stepped out from behind her and into her line of vision. "You are quite a pain, Motoko. I enjoy making you suffer," he jeered quietly, his hands hanging limply at his sides while his face stayed half covered under the robe.

"Actually…" he continued, "I think I have a better idea than my original plan. I had come here with the intention to rid the Earth of such a worthless being as you, but now that I think of it… Such a nuisance deserves pain. Loads of pain."

Swallowing back another sob, the medic nin worked up every single ounce of courage she owned and stammered out, "W-what do you plan on d-doing to me?"

"I told you," the deathly voice said, "I plan on making you suffer. A lot."

Seeing his Sharingan glitter, she immediately thought of Kakashi and her blood froze in despair. The Copy nin was in Konoha, he wouldn't be helping her…

Almost as if he could hear her thoughts, Itachi stepped closer and hissed, "Hatake Kakashi… you hold him dear to you, don't you?"

Stiffening again, Motoko didn't respond as Itachi's face turned from emotionless to thoughtful. Then it melted into a smirk as he whispered gently, "Tsukuyomi…"

The once darkened world was instantly switched to a contrast of black and white with violent splashes of a reddish orange. The terror she had felt before was nothing compared to the feeling she was experiencing right now. They were still in the forest, yet the atmosphere had changed to a suffocating aura.

"Welcome to my Jutsu…" he hissed as a tall blade appeared in his hands. "Welcome to Hell."

With those words, the blade skimmed her neck, making her gasp out in pain.

_'It's Genjutsu, it's only Genjustsu…'_ she repeated in her mind, forcing her confused brain to realize that this was all an illusion. Only it was hard for her to wrap her spirit around that concept, for the pain felt damn real.

"Now meet my other Jutsu…"

His voice seemed somehow different, but her senses didn't last long as a tingle ran through her body and her vision and hearing faded. An unnatural feeling seeped through her skin, almost as if a breeze was entering through the pores of her skin and deep into her inner system. Soon, she opened her eyes and was shocked to see the world through a different pair of eyes. Every detail jumped at her crazily, every shade distinguishable like never before.

Then another abnormal thing happened- she spoke out loud without willing herself to, "This is how I see life, Motoko. I took control of your body, so you now know what Sharingan does. But this is far from a little experiment, I shall use you to my advantage…"

Motoko felt her heart race frantically. She had spoken the words with her own voice, but Itachi had been the one who'd said it.

_'Kami… I can't move on my own…'_ she thought, then froze as she began to laugh. "Indeed," her own voice rang out, scaring the living hell out of her. "Now let's have a little fun."

The medic nin's body moved on her own as she rapidly switched positions. Now hidden in the forest, she ducked while peeking around for any movement, just like a true shinobi would.

----------

Kakashi skidded to a stop, nearly tripping over Pakkun. The dog had halted rather abruptly and was sniffing the air, a confused look in his dark brown eyes.

"I lost his scent…" the tracking dog muttered angrily. "I still follow Motoko's, but Itachi's vanished…"

Kakashi looked down at the thick branch he was standing on, then sighed. "Find Motoko, I just want to know she's safe…" They started their race again as silently as they both could. Branch after branch was jumped at an incredible speed until Pakkun called out, "She stopped moving! We're close now!"

Instantly worried, Kakashi boosted his speed even more. Usually when someone stopped moving, it wasn't a good sign, especially since Itachi had left the area.

"Just hold on," he whispered softly even if there was no way for Motoko to hear him. "We're nearly there, we'll—"

Kakashi's words were cut as he yelled and jumped down from the tree, falling on his shoulder. Rolling a few feet to get rid of his shock, he heard Pakkun drop beside him.

"Chakra strings," he gasped, sitting up quickly as his eyes swept around the area. "Probably there are some explosive tags nearby; we'll have to be careful where we set our feet."

Pakkun nodded before he shifted and said, "Hey wait… I smell her… She should be right about—"

Just like his master earlier, the canine didn't have time to finish his sentence as a kunai whizzed right past him towards Kakashi. The Copy nin smirked and plucked the weapon right out of the air effortlessly, then slid it in his pocket.

"Motoko? It's me, come out. My dog tracked you down," he sighed, getting up to his full height and crossing his arms. Pakkun trotted over to his master and sat down obediently at his feet.

Motoko smirked as she jumped down from the tree she was in, then landed about ten feet in front of him. Straightening up, she shot him a slow smirk as she pulled another kunai from her pocket and began to twirl it around her finger.

It didn't take a genius to realize that she wasn't being herself.

"So you did come… I guess we're far enough from Konoha for me to chop you to pieces without being mauled by a gang of ANBU…" Motoko's voice rang out, a cruel accent tainting her usual peaceful voice.

Kakashi narrowed his eyes and simply got into his battle stance. "Who are you?" he snapped out.

"Kaoru Motoko. I fooled you, didn't I? With my innocent story about being chased by the Akatsuki… All I wanted was to kill you, Kakashi of the Sharingan…" she stated softly, then smirked and threw the kunai.

* * *

A/N: Oh God, I had loads of problem with this chapter. So sorry guys, I **really** had problems, hence why I took a hell of a long time to update, and it's such a crummy chapter...

Also I apologize for not answering reviews anymore. Usually I'd always answer, no matter how short the review was, but now I just don't have time for that. All my time on the computer is spent either BETA reading or doing my own chapters… But please don't let that stop you from reviewing…

Take care!


	15. Kakashi VS Motoko

Disclaimer  
-Holds a sign that claims "Searching for a disclaimer to say that I don't own Naruto"-

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**Chapter 14: Kakashi VS Motoko**

  
Kakashi instantly dodged the kunai that was thrown his way, then shot back a disgusted look towards Motoko. The woman was snickering menacingly at him, her features bright in the darkened area surrounding them. They were in a small, lighted area deep in the woods, one of the only places where the branches cracked to allow moonlight to seep through.

"You tricked me," he hissed, anger evident on the visible parts of his face. "You… lied." 

"My job is to kill you, Kakashi of the Sharingan," her cold voice uttered, "and to make you suffer."

As soon as she said this, she performed a few hand seals and muttered something under her breath. Soon, the entire area was ablaze with a roaring fire. The only problem was- the fire was black. Jet black. But it was fire alright. It burned right through the trunks and leaves and in under a few minutes, the entire area was practically in ashes.

The Leaf Jounin, though, wasn't immune to fire either. Returning the smirk on Motoko's face, he said in a loud voice, "Easy to counter! Water Style: Water Encampment Wall Jutsu!"

Immediately, four walls of water rushed up a few feet around Kakashi, trapping him into a cell of the clear liquid. He then glared at Motoko through water as a laugh escaped her throat before she said, "It's useless, Kakashi. Useless."

"What the…!?" the Copy nin suddenly yelped as the black flamed went right through the water wall he had propped up around himself. _'This isn't normal. Fire does __**not**__ burn water…'_

Canceling the Jutsu, he jumped up in the air and onto a relatively stable tree branch as the water whooshed back into the ground, vanishing as it fell. Whipping his head up, he barely had time to dodge a forceful punch that was thrown his way. Slightly shocked that she was able to move so quickly, he whirled around and in the blink of an eye, had a shuriken in his hand and had imbedded it into Motoko's neck.

She poofed.

Growling, Kakashi noticed there were now ten copies of her, all smirking at him with each a few kunai in their hands. Shadow Clones. He stopped in his tracks as they all surrounded him, making him wish Obito had been with the Hyuuga clan instead of the Uchiha, so he might've gotten the Byakuugan instead of the Sharingan. It would be very handy right now, actually.

Then the weapons began flying.

Kakashi grunted as he had to work extremely fast to dodge them all while trying not to step in the remaining black flames. Eventually, he got sick of the little game and switched his body with a log, allowing himself to get "hit" by a kunai. Meanwhile his real self moved to the upper branch of a tree which had just started to burn.

As his twin poofed away, the Sharingan user took out every single kunai he had and began hurling them at every single Motoko he saw, wanting the lot of them to disappear. The weapons glided quickly through the air, straight towards their target before they were all stopped in mid air.

Kakashi felt his eyes widen. Every single clone had caught his weapons and in one fluid motion, had thrown them all back at him.

_'How did she catch all that… It's impossible, I threw them as hard as I could,'_ the Copy nin thought before jumping away from the weapons. The second that he hit the floor, he turned his head around and a gasp left his throat.

A hidden senbon needle buried itself deep into his side.

Now in a mixture of anger, numbness, and pain, Kakashi looked up as the clones vanished, revealing the real Motoko as she jumped forward, a snicker in her features. He felt the poison radiating through his system as he struggled to sit up, all while ripping the needle from his side.

"This is it…" she simply said, her snicker turning into a soft smile.

The Copy nin didn't answer, lowering his eyes as he forced himself not to look at the woman who had betrayed him. At the woman who had given him false hopes.

At the woman he had fell in love with.

His face was dangerously blank as he managed to stand up straight. Raising his trembling fingers, he flashed through a few hand seals in a second, resulting in an incredible amount of chakra building up in his right hand.

"Chidori," he whispered, before giving a yell and jumping forward with the impressive technique that had killed so many before.

An explosion occurred right when something connected with his wrist, flying all the ashes from around them. Once the flash of lighting had died down, Kakashi grunted with pain as he noticed that Motoko had simply grabbed his wrist as was openly laughing at his defeat.

A familiar thought entered his mind as he remembered what Naruto had told him one day. A long time ago, back when Sasuke was still with them, Itachi had tried to capture the blond boy for the Kyuubi inside of him. Sasuke had tried the Chidori on his older brother, only to have his wrist grabbed before he could lay a hit on him.

"Itachi…" the Copy nin growled, his anger deepening as he glared into Motoko's eyes. The lady only smiled before producing a small blade and plunging it into Kakashi's chest before he could react.

"It's over," the older Uchiha's voice rang out from behind them. "He's practically dead now, and I've used up all your chakra, Motoko, so any of your poorly-placed attempts at healing him won't do a thing."

During that moment, the medic nin gasped as she felt a huge weight leaving her body. Coughing harshly at the sudden exhaustion she felt, the woman crumbled to the ground only a few feet from Kakashi as a coppery taste filled her mouth. Raising her eyes to look at a struggling Kakashi, she felt a soft, "No…" leaving her lips. She had the control of her body back. Looking down at her trembling hands, she couldn't believe that only seconds ago, she had planted a knife in his chest.

Itachi smirked as he did a few hand seals. The reaction was instantly produced as Kakashi yelled out in pain, raising both hands to his head before crumbling to the ground, inert.

The cruel Uchiha then made his way slowly to Motoko as she began to helplessly crawl towards Kakashi. Stopping right in front of her, he glared down and said, "Death would've been too good for you. Now suffer with the realization that you killed him…"

With those words, Itachi smirked and turned around, dismissively walking away. But Motoko's attention was elsewhere as she forced herself to go forward. Crawling through ashes as the black flames vanished; she stopped beside Kakashi and lightly dropped her fingers to his neck to feel his heartbeat.

Nothing.

Tears of guilt and self-hatred slipped into her eyes as she allowed herself to slump forward in defeat. Begging silently for a miracle, she searched within herself for the small amount of chakra she had left. Doing a few hand seals, she quickly began the medical process of getting his heart to beat again, even if it would bring her to her death.

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A/N: Another very difficult chapter to write… Sick of cliffies yet? 

Got an anonymous review without any address, so I can't answer said person... Just in case anyone thinks the same way as them, let me explain this. In most of my stories the pairing is primordial. The story resolves around their romantic relationships, with minor things driving the plot forward. In this story, though, the pairing is secondary, which means the relationship is just "in the background". At first, yes, I thought the pairing would be the main plot, but as the story develops I chose to have it more focused on her meddling with the Akatsuki. Actually, I plan on making two or three chapters more before closing this story.

Review please. Personally, I think Itachi talked too much in this chapter… Hn, whatever.

Take care!


	16. Epilogue

Disclaimer  
Stars with an "N", ends with an "O"….

A/N  
Faithfully, like my other stories, I put the A/N of my Epilogue on top. I'm so sorry I have to end it so abruptly, but I'm leaving for two weeks and I don't want you guys to wait God-knows-how-long for the next update. Hence why I decided that this story should come to a close. I want to thank everyone who reviewed faithfully and give you all my deepest apologies for shutting the story without warning. Think possible sequel, with the keyword being "possible".

Give my profile a look, I have a note that people who have me on "Author Alert" might want to read.

As always,  
Take care!

* * *

****

Epilogue

Motoko's hands worked rapidly as all her remaining chakra spilled out from her hands and into Kakashi's body. She poured all her energy into her work for an entire minute before she stopped and pressed her face to his chest.

Thump. 

Closing her eyes with relief at hearing his heart beat, the medic nin allowed herself to fall backwards as she forced herself to breathe properly. He was alive, that was all that mattered to her for now. She was so exhausted that her body shut down and fell asleep on its own.

When Motoko reopened her eyes, the sunlight was streaming through the trees, turning the once spooky area into a peaceful meadow. Well, as peaceful as a meadow can look when its entire fields are scorched in ashes and soot.

As she shifted lightly, a dark cloak rolled off from her shoulders and fell onto the ground. Blinking the sleep away from her eyes, the medic nin sat up wearily, only to fall backwards and moan in pain as a treacherous wave of nausea attacked her. Dizziness numbing her spirit, the woman felt herself spinning even if she knew she wasn't moving an inch.

Suddenly, a cool hand pressed itself on her forehead and a male voice said, "Calm down. You've used way too much chakra last night. You have to rest."

Locking her eyes with Kakashi's, the woman suddenly struggled to get up again as words tumbled from her lips, "I-I'm so sorry about yesterday! Itachi had controlled my body and I couldn't do anything but watch while he tried to kill you! I can't believe I didn't have the strength to stop him, Kakashi, I'm so sorry!"

When she stopped for a quarter of a second to catch her breath, Kakashi placed a finger on her lips and murmured a simple, "It's fine. It wasn't your fault, I understand."

Subdued, Motoko nodded weakly as she whispered, "How can you be standing? He… he nearly killed you…"

"You healed me," Kakashi said with a light smile. "I have no clue how in the world you did it, but you did. Not completely, of course, but enough so I can stand."

Glad, Motoko sighed and nodded lightly before she closed her eyes again. She barely felt Kakashi picking her up and starting to run. She barely heard a door open and close and she barely reacted when he placed her on a bed, then draped covers over her shoulders. But when his lips pressed upon her forehead, she was fully conscious of it.

----------

"Good-bye, Hokage-sama! And thank you for everything!"

Motoko waved high as Tsunade and her subordinates returned her goodbyes. Turning her back, somewhat sadly, on Konoha, the medic nin began her walk back home. Back to Mist village and back to her family.

The day was clear, with no treacherous clouds in the sky that would slow her down. She knew that Itachi wouldn't return to bother her again; he had much more important things to do. In fact, rumors said that he had been ambushed by Sasuke the night after the episode in the forest, yet no one could verify that fact or could say the outcome. Future would have to give them that piece of information.

As she walked along, she thought back to the last two weeks. When Kakashi had brought her back to her apartment, she had fallen into a long sleep, only to awaken to see a curious Tsunade beside her. They had had a long talk before the Hokage had left her behind in the care of Sakura. The pink-haired kunoichi had fixed whatever had been originally wrong with her and had been thanked profusely.

Kakashi had also made a great recovery. Both physically and emotionally. They had both talked about a potential relationship between the two and they had decided to give it a shot despite the long distance. It was worth it.

Just as she was thinking of him, the Copy nin appeared suddenly in front of her, making her jump while he grinned. Stalking towards her, he forced her to drop the small bag she carried and wrapped his arms around her, drawing her close.

"I'll miss you," he admitted in a whisper.

Motoko buried her face in his neck, looping her arms around his shoulders loosely before answering, "So will I, I can't believe that I've met you only weeks ago.

The silence that spread between them was far from being uncomfortable. They both knew that they'd be fine, even if they were apart. They stayed in that position for minutes on end, neither wanting to break the comforting embrace that they had both wanted for so long. Fate wouldn't be tearing them apart now.

Kakashi was the one who broke the silence by murmuring a soft, "Thank you."

But he didn't need to thank her. Almost to give his words some action, he raised his left hand to his face and pulled off one of his mask that covered his jaw.

Just before he pulled off his second mask, Motoko closed her eyes. Their lips met in a loving, sweet kiss, taking their time to savor the moment. She didn't want to see his face right now, she didn't need to.

Simply because she was absolutely certain that she already knew who the man behind the mask was.


End file.
